Rugby legend Ma'a Nonu joins The Sharks environment to mentor next generation

The Sharks are delighted to announce that two-time Rugby World Cup winner Ma'a Nonu will spend the next few months in Durban as part of a high-performance mentorship programme designed to accelerate the development of the club's next generation of players by exposing them to one of the most successful leaders in world rugby.

Nonu joins the club primarily in a mentorship and leadership capacity, working alongside the coaching staff to support player development and strengthen the club's high-performance culture. Through his long-standing relationship with head coach JP Pietersen and a shared belief in developing world-class people as well as players, Durban became the ideal environment for Nonu to embrace the opportunity to give back to the game by investing in the next generation of talent.

Throughout his All Black career, Nonu was immersed in one of the most successful high-performance cultures in world sport. While his rugby achievements are exceptional and well-known, it is his lived experience of building standards, accountability and winning behaviors over more than two decades that makes this opportunity unique for The Sharks.

The Sharks CEO Shaun Bryans believes this move reflects the club's commitment to creating an environment where young players can learn from the very best.

"Opportunities for someone of Ma'a's calibre to spend time in our environment don't come around often. While his achievements on field are exceptional, it is his professionalism, leadership and understanding of what it takes to consistently perform at the highest level, that makes this such an exciting opportunity for our club.

"As we continue to build for the future, exposing our environment to world-class performers who have achieved sustained success is invaluable. His presence over the next few months will add significant value to our playing group through the mentorship, standards and rugby knowledge he will share with our team every day."

Pietersen echoed those sentiments.

"The best players don't just leave memories, they leave standards. That's what Ma'a brings. Every conversation, every training session and every interaction is an opportunity for our players to learn what excellence looks like.”

Speaking about his time in Durban, Nonu said the city and the chance to work with Pietersen and The Sharks' emerging talent, made this an easy decision.

"The Sharks are one of the world’s most iconic rugby clubs and Durban has always been a special place for me to travel to. One of my earliest away matches in Super Rugby was played here and I've carried fond memories of this city and its passionate rugby fans ever since.

"I have immense respect for JP. We competed against each other for many years and I'm looking forward to working with him and the team.

“This is a great opportunity to give back to the game. Working alongside the future stars of our sport is exciting and I’m looking forward to doing everything I can to help the club during my time there.”

Nonu’s arrival reinforces the club's commitment to developing world-class talent in a high-performance environment and his stint will benefit the club well beyond his short-term stay.